"Wouldn't surprise me if he loses first two rounds" - Dan Hardy makes bold prediction for UFC 296 headliner between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington
Dan Hardy believes Leon Edwards will defeat Colby Covington at UFC 296, but the Brit doesn't expect his compatriot to have it all his own way.
Edwards and Covington are set to headline the final pay-per-view of the year, which takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. 'Rocky' heads into the fight off the back of successfully defending the welterweight title against Kamaru Usman earlier this year, whereas Covington makes his first walk to the octagon since March 2022.
Edwards is looking to extend his undefeated streak to 13, as well as make his second successive title defence. For Covington, his bout against the champ marks a third opportunity at attempting to claim the welterweight strap, having previously lost to 'The Nigerian Nightmare' on two occasions.
Ahead of their bout on December 16, Dan Hardy cast his prediction for the fight in a recent interview with Submission Radio.
According to 'The Outlaw', while he expects to see Leon Edwards get his hand raised at the end, he fully expects Colby Covington to have success early on in the fight. He said:
"I think Leon's going to do it, I think he'll defend his belt. It wouldn't surpised me if he loses the first two rounds. If he spends the first two rounds hand-fighting, clinch-fighting, and getting himself off the fence, eventually he'll start to land those short elbows and knees which will start to slow Colby down and make him hesitant to close the range."
Catch Hardy's comments here (32:05):
Leon Edwards predicts Colby Covington's strategy ahead of UFC 296
Leon Edwards believes he knows what to expect when he steps into the octagon to face Colby Covington at UFC 296.
'Chaos' is notoriously known for his unrelenting fighting style, which is coupled with both a high level of wrestling and almost unwavering cardio.
Speaking in a recent interview with the ESPN desk at Saturday's UFC Fight Night, Edwards stated that he has been preparing for a grapple-heavy approach by the challenger, but was adamant that he is ready for all scenarios. He said:
"I think everyone knows what he's [Colby Covington] coming out to do. He is coming out to heavy pressure, swing boxing to shoot on to you and grind you out, burn the clock down, and win that way, you know. I think everyone knows what he coming to do, and I'm prepared for it."
Catch Edwards' comments here (5:00):